This invention relates generally to implantable devices for interventional therapeutic treatment or vascular surgery, and more particularly concerns a galvanic embolic or vasoocclusive coil adapted to be released and deployed within a patient's vasculature for treatment of an aneurysm.
Vasoocclusive devices are therapeutic devices that are placed within the vasculature of the human body, typically via a catheter, to form an embolus to block the flow of blood through a vessel making up that portion of the vasculature, or within an aneurysm stemming from the vessel.
A stretch resistant vasoocclusive coil is known that is reinforced with an inner stretch resistant member to provide stretch resistance to the coil, and that can be released using an electrolytically detachable joint. A biodegradable stent is also known that has joining elements formed of a metal having a lower electrochemical potential than a second metal forming other portions of the stent, causing the stent to dissolve into smaller parts when the joining elements dissolve. Other stent devices are known that include detachable wires for manipulating the position and final configuration of the stent, in which the detachable wires may have a link that is electrolytically detachable from the stent by imposing a current on the wire. Such detachment mechanisms in stents or vasoocclusive devices allow for placement and/or removal of the devices, and do not aid in acceleration of embolization or healing of an aneurysm or fistula.
However, for the treatment of hemorrhaging aneurysms or fistulas, it would be desirable to accelerate the normal rate of blood coagulation, which can be extremely helpful in stopping the hemorrhaging. In the case of non-hemorrhaging aneurysms, faster growth of connective tissue and healing would be desirable. It would therefore be desirable to provide an embolic coil for accelerating embolization of an aneurysm or fistula into which the embolic coil is placed, and for accelerating growth of connective tissue and healing in an aneurysm or fistula into which the embolic coil is placed. The present invention meets these and other needs.